Rockets' James Harden maintains spot in All-Star voting

1of27Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket past Milwaukee Bucks forward Thon Maker (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

2of27Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket past Milwaukee Bucks forward Thon Maker (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

3of27Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (15) and Houston Rockets forward Gary Clark (6) go after a loose ball on the floor during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

4of27Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) takes a 3-point shot over Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

5of27Houston Rockets forwards James Ennis III (8) and PJ Tucker (17) react after Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) was called for an offensive foul on Tucker during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

6of27Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni reacts to a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

7of27Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (15) and Houston Rockets forward Gary Clark (6) go after a loose ball on the floor during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

11of27Houston Rockets forwards James Ennis III (8) and PJ Tucker (17) fight for a rebound with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

12of27Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. (4) defends a shot by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

13of27Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers (25) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe (6) go up for a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

16of27Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova (77) defends a shot by Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

17of27Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers (25) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe (6) go up for a rebound during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

18of27Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers (25) reaches out for a loose ball knocked away by Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

19of27Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives to the basket between Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. (4) and guard Gerald Green (14) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

24of27Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden, right, fight for a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

25of27Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden, right, fight for a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

26of27Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) is defended by Houston Rockets forwards Danuel House Jr. (4), James Ennis III (8) and center Clint Capela (15) as he takes the ball to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Rockets guard James Harden remained third among Western Conference guards in the All-Star balloting update released on Thursday, trailing the Warriors' Stephen Curry and Timberwolves' sixth man Derrick Rose.

LeBron James of the Lakers, Luka Doncic of the Mavericks and Paul George of the Thunder lead among frontcourt players.

In the East, the Celtics' Kyrie Irving, Heat's Dwyane Wade lead in the backcourt with the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Raptors' Kawhi Leonard, 76ers' Joel Embiid and in the frontcourt.

All-Star starters will be announced on Jan. 24 with reserves announce a week later. Starters are determined by balloting of fans, players and media, with the fans votes counting for 50 percent and the votes of the players and a media panel counting for 25 percent each. Reserves are chosen in balloting of league coaches.

Antetokounmpo and James are the leading vote-getters from each conference, which would make them All-Star captains that would select the teams from a pool of the starters and reserves.

Jonathan Feigen has been the Rockets beat writer since 1998 and a basketball nut since before Willis Reed limped out for Game 7. He became a sports writer because the reporter that was supposed to cover the University of Delaware basketball team decided to instead play one more season of college lacrosse and has never looked back.

Feigen, who has won APSE, APME and United States Basketball Writers Association awards from El Campo to Houston, came to Texas in 1981 to cover the Rice Birds, was Sports Editor in Garland before moving to Dallas to cover everything from the final hurrah of the Southwest Conference to SMU after the death penalty.

After joining the Houston Chronicle in 1990, Feigen has covered the demise of the SWC, the rise of the Big 12 and the Rockets at their championship best.